Produced For: Association of Wetland Stewards for Clayoquot and Barkley Sounds

Description: The goal of this project is to protect the integrity of local wetland ecosystems within the Clayoquot Biosphere Reserve Region over time. These habitats provide a variety of ecological services and support amphibian species listed as being "at risk" within Canada. This project will determine the local status of Red-legged Frogs (Rana aurora) and Western Toads (Bufo boreas) and use fluctuations in their populations, as well as Northwestern Salamanders (Ambystoma gracile), as barometers of the health of our wetland ecosystems. Amphibians are good indicators of ecosystem intergrity becuase they are particularly sensitive to changes in water quality and quantity, and they are an integral part of the food webs within wetlands and surrounding forests. Habitat destruction, highway traffic, pollution, introduced Bullfrogs, and disease may reduce amphians populations. Sharing information on how these threats influence the status of local populations will help promote stewardship of wetland ecosystems in the region.
The project objectives area:
1. To survey freshwater wetlands and monitor the breeding populations of two species at risk, the Red-legged Frog, the Western Toad, and a third species, the Northwestern Salamander, in and around Ucluelet, Tofino, and the Long Beach Unit of Pacific Rim National Park Resrve (PRNPR).
2. To describe vegetation, hydrology and surrounding conditions, of the wetlands.
3. To do surveillance for introduced Bullfrogs.
4. To provide opportunities for local youth and adults to learn skills involved in surveying amphibians and doing Bullfrog surveillance at wetlands.
5. To share information with local planners, government agencies, community leaders, landowners, and the general public in an effort to help maintain the ecological value of local wetlands, and the species at risk they support. ...